Month: October 2025

Online Allies: How Black travelers view DMO social advocacy statements

Oct. 30, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Did digital gestures from destination marketing organizations resonate with Black travelers?

RST Assistant Professor Charis Tucker: “Tourism marketing must go beyond surface-level representation.”

In the summer of 2020, when streets across the U.S. filled with protests for racial and social justice, something unusual happened in the world of tourism. Destination marketing organizations—better known as DMOs—suddenly became vocal online allies. Their Instagram grids turned black. Their feeds carried hashtags of solidarity. Their captions spoke of inclusion, equity and justice.

It was a striking moment for an industry that historically has not been known for inclusivity. But it raised an important question: did these digital gestures matter to Black travelers, the very audience the messages were meant to support?

That question became the focus of a new study entitled “Online Allies? Exploring Black travelers’ perceptions of DMO social advocacy statements” and published in the Journal of Travel Research. For the researcher behind the project—Dr. Charis Tucker, an assistant professor in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois—the motivation was straightforward.

“Organizations in various industries, including tourism, began engaging in digital advocacy, posting their support for racial diversity, the Black community, and/or the Black Lives Matter Movement,” Tucker said. “What was missing from the conversation, however, were the voices of the community for whom this advocacy was directed. I wanted to understand how these statements resonated with Black travelers.”

In this context, “social advocacy statements” means the public messages organizations choose to share online—on websites, social feeds or campaigns—about issues such as racial justice, LGBTQ rights or mental health.

“These statements are usually made during key moments after a major social event or movement,” Tucker said. “They’re meant to show that the organization cares about more than profit; they care about people and justice, too.”

But do they succeed? Or do they come off as hollow gestures?

To find out, the Tucker and her colleagues reviewed real-world posts from DMOs, looking at the kinds of images and captions they used. Then, they designed a set of mock posts that reflected different advocacy approaches:

  • A simple black square.
  • A black square with a short statement of solidarity.
  • A photo of a Black family holding a sign that read “United Against Hate.”
  • The same photo, paired with a written statement.

Nearly 200 participants evaluated the posts through an online research platform. Their reactions revealed not only what felt meaningful, but also what felt empty.

The black square, a widely used digital symbol in 2020, flopped in the experiment. Participants dismissed it as vague and performative.

A mockup of a black square Instagram post. Many corporations, including DMOs, posted similar images during 2020’s racial justice protests, in an effort to show solidarity. Tucker asked participants to evaluate different responses from DMOs on how meaningful, or hollow, the gestures felt.

The black square paired with a written statement prompted the most critical reflection. It made travelers stop and ask: does this organization actually understand us? Do they back up these words with action?

“I think this is a little lackluster compared to the other statements I have seen. I don’t want to be represented by just a black square” one participant said.

Posts that combined imagery with text—especially featuring Black people—were seen as more sincere and intentional. The message was clear: gestures need words and words need actions.

So how can DMOs avoid looking performative? According to the study, the key lies in specificity and consistency.

“Organizations must explicitly state their stance,” Tucker said. “Their posts should include who they are supporting, why, and—perhaps most importantly—how. This will limit scrutiny that is sure to come with vague or ambiguous messaging.”

Equally critical is aligning statements with a track record of action. Many participants questioned whether DMOs had been inclusive in the past. Without history to back them up, even the most polished posts risked falling flat.

The implications for tourism marketing are significant. For decades, Black travelers have been underrepresented—or completely absent—in promotional campaigns. In response, they created their own spaces for community and representation.

“Tourism marketing must go beyond surface-level representation,” Tucker said. “Genuine inclusion requires more than simply featuring Black travelers in promotional materials. It demands thoughtful, consistent effort that reflects a genuine understanding of and engagement with Black communities.”

One concept that emerged from the research is something called “relational legitimacy.” Put simply, it’s the trust that grows when organizations affirm the identities, values, and lived experiences of marginalized communities.

“To rebuild trust, DMOs should get to know their community, not just in its present state, but from a historical perspective as well,” Tucker said. “This means recognizing the past experiences, contributions, and challenges of these communities, and using that knowledge to inform more respectful, inclusive engagement.”

That means celebrating local Black voices—entrepreneurs, artists, and cultural leaders—while also listening closely to community feedback and adapting accordingly.

The study’s findings offer a roadmap for an industry that wants to do better. Social advocacy can’t be performative, and it can’t be a one-off post during a crisis. For Black travelers, sincerity shines through when organizations pair words with action, history with honesty, and representation with respect.

As Tucker noted, real trust is built not through hashtags, but through consistency.

For DMOs, the message is as clear as it is challenging: it’s time to move beyond the black square.

Editor’s note:

To reach Charis Tucker, email cntucker@illinois.edu.
The paper “Online Allies? Exploring Black travelers’ perceptions of DMO social advocacy statements” can be found online here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00472875241294235
 

Share on social

Tags: , , , , , ,

Related news

Tattoos as anchors of transformative travel

Oct. 27, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

A new RST study examines how tattoos from memorable trips continue to ‘speak’ over time

A tattoo one traveler obtained on a visit to Japan. Participants in the study were asked to share images of their tattoos, which embodied personal change, collaboration, and reminders of the travel experience. (Provided)

At the intersection of body art and travel lies a fascinating phenomenon: tattoos serving as anchors of transformative experiences.

A new study from Recreation, Sport and Tourism faculty members Toni Liechty and Joelle Soulard, along with recent RST graduate and current Western Michigan University Assistant Professor Xin Du—which earned a Silver Award at the TTRA International Conference—sheds light on how travelers inscribe their journeys into their skin—quite literally—turning fleeting moments into enduring symbols of change. Drawing on the theory of aesthetic reflexivity, Soulard and her team examined how tattoos reflect not only personal transformations but also the broader cultural contexts in which they are created.

At the heart of this study is aesthetic reflexivity, a lens that emphasizes how individuals make sense of their lives through aesthetic, embodied, and sensory practices. Rather than viewing tattoos as static souvenirs, Liechty and Soulard’s research frames them as dynamic expressions of ongoing transformation. Placement, style and design become as important as the stories behind them. Three themes consistently surfaced: tattoos as embodiments of personal change, tattoos shaped through collaboration with others, and tattoos serving as enduring reminders long after the journey ended.

In other words, the tattoo is not the final word on the experience—it continues to “speak” over time. A novel aspect of this research was the use of photo elicitation, where participants were asked to share images of their tattoos.

“This combination of stories and images provided a fuller picture of how tattoos expressed transformation and helped us notice patterns that might have been missed otherwise,” Soulard said.

This visual approach often unlocked memories and meanings that words alone did not capture. For instance, some travelers reflected on the significance of tattoo placement in relation to scars, or the choice of a particular design that tied back to their journey. By combining narrative and visual data, Soulard and Liechty were able to trace patterns of transformation that might have remained invisible otherwise.

The study included 31 U.S. travelers who had gotten a tattoo after what they considered a transformative trip. Participants were recruited to reflect diversity across age, gender, life stage, and destination. From backpacking in Asia to volunteering abroad or embarking on solo pilgrimages, the contexts varied widely. Yet, despite the diversity of stories, a shared thread emerged: the tattoo as both artifact and anchor of change. Recruitment continued until theoretical saturation was reached, ensuring that the insights reflected recurring themes rather than isolated anecdotes.

RST professors Toni Liechty and Joelle Soulard.

One of the more striking findings involved tattoo placement. Several participants deliberately chose sensitive spots—like ribs or spine—where pain intensified the meaning of the act. For them, the researchers said, enduring the process was part of the ritual, underscoring resilience and adding layers of depth.

“Across their stories, we also noticed common patterns,” Soulard said. “Tattoos used to cover scars, tattoos placed where others would see them as signs of transformation, and tattoos with symbolic designs, such as ancestral motifs, that carried personal significance. These layers of interpretation became visible when we looked at the tattoos alongside the participants’ accounts.”

Although the research did not include formal long-term follow-up, many participants described how their tattoos continued to serve as daily reminders of their journeys. In moments of stress or uncertainty, glancing at the tattoo provided grounding, calm, or renewed strength. This suggests that tattoos function not only as memory devices but also as active tools for navigating everyday life, anchoring identity and resilience across time.

A floral tattoo obtained by a traveler after a trip to New Zealand.

The findings hold valuable insights for tourism operators. Rather than offering only conventional souvenirs, Soulard suggests that operators could facilitate co-creation experiences with local artists—tattooists, calligraphers, or printmakers—that allow travelers to express transformation in deeply personal ways. Maker studios for engraved tokens, stitched patches, or memorial jewelry could provide meaningful alternatives. Post-trip reflection kits, blending journaling prompts with art, might also extend the transformative power of travel once travelers return home. These approaches recognize that identity work does not end when the trip concludes; it evolves.

Of course, tattoos are not free from cultural complexity. The researchers said they approached the subject with care, ensuring ethical research practices, IRB approval and respect for participants’ privacy. Photo sharing was optional, and aliases were used to protect identities.

“We also ensured that participants’ own stories and meanings were at the center of the research by giving them space to guide the conversation, and interpreting their tattoos through the explanations they offered,” Soulard said.

Importantly, the researchers acknowledged broader issues, such as the colonial suppression of Indigenous tattoo traditions, as well as the risks of cultural appropriation or stigma in modern practice.

Soulard and Liechty’s insights raise possibilities for future research. Longitudinal studies using diaries or repeat interviews could explore how the meanings of tattoos evolve over decades. As tattoos continue to gain cultural prominence, particularly among younger generations, their role as anchors of transformative travel is likely to expand.

What remains clear, Liechty and Soulard suggest, is that tattoos are more than body art—they are living, breathing narratives etched into skin, carrying the echoes of journeys that reshape lives.

Editor’s note:

To reach Toni Liechty, email tliechty@illinois.edu.
To reach Joelle Soulard, email jsoulard@illinois.edu.
 

Share on social

Tags: , , , , , ,

Related news

A friendship forged in RST: Dan Bernstein and Alex Roux’s journey at Illinois

Oct. 27, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

For Dan Bernstein and Alex Roux, the University of Illinois was more than just a place to study—it was the setting for a friendship that would shape their student years and ripple into their careers

Alex Roux (Photo provided)

Both arrived on campus passionate about Illini sports, uncertain of exactly where their paths might lead. What they discovered together in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism was a sense of community, mentorship and shared ambition that defined their time at Illinois.

Roux, a Champaign native, was steeped in Illini culture. “I grew up in Champaign-Urbana as an Illini fan and high school athlete, and when I realized my athletic dreams of competing in college would fall (way) short, I wanted to stay connected to the sports world professionally,” he said. “The RST program stood out as my lane to remain close to the athletic programs I grew up cheering for.”

Bernstein, meanwhile, came from Glenview, a northern suburb of Chicago. A lifelong Illini basketball fan who idolized the 2004–05 team, he initially enrolled as a psychology major. But as his friendship with Roux deepened, his focus shifted. “After becoming close friends with Alex and given my passion for sports and interest in marketing, I transferred into RST during my sophomore year.”

Their friendship began in the residence halls. Roux’s roommate at Bromley Hall had been one of Bernstein’s high school friends, creating a natural introduction. Roux remembered noticing Bernstein early on in class: “I recognized Dan on one of our first days of class freshman year because he frequently wore Illinois gear, so we struck up some initial conversations about Illini sports. Once I realized he ‘knew ball’ and I could talk sports at length with him, our friendship took off from there.”

Bernstein echoed that sentiment with his characteristic humor: “It was ‘close friends at first sight.’ Kidding … In reality, we bonded quickly because Alex knew so much about Illinois sports and sports in general. We also shared the same questionable taste in Burnett’s vodka and bagged wine back then, which, at the time, felt like the perfect foundation for friendship.”

What began as hallway conversations grew into years of shared experiences. They were roommates for three of their four years, sat together in RST classes, and spent countless evenings at Illini basketball games. Roux explained the impact of that constant companionship: “Having Dan around to bounce class schedules, homework assignments and ideas off of helped my development both as a student and motivationally. When he secured a coveted internship with the Philadelphia Flyers, I wanted to pursue similar high-profile opportunities in my own career.”

For Bernstein, Roux’s local ties eased the transition into campus life. “Alex being from Champaign was especially helpful for me as a freshman who was unsure of what he was getting into. Through him, I met great local friends and felt more at home.”

Both immersed themselves in campus opportunities. Roux worked at the Illinois Ticket Office throughout his undergraduate years, including alongside his grandfather, whose legacy is now honored at State Farm Center. Bernstein became deeply involved in student organizations, writing for The Daily Illini—as did Roux—and serving as vice president of Orange Krush, Illinois’ famed student cheering section. “That role was particularly meaningful—it wasn’t just about going to games, but also about learning to run a successful nonprofit that gave back to the community,” he said. “I gained hands-on experience in marketing, operations, fundraising, etc.”

Their shared academic journey was guided by faculty like Clinical Associate Professor Mike Raycraft, whom both cite as a lasting influence. Roux described him as “someone who invests his time and energy with students past and present,” while Bernstein emphasized Raycraft’s perspective that careers in sport and tourism often extend well beyond traditional roles.

After Illinois, Roux and Bernstein lived together in Chicago for three years before their paths diverged geographically. Roux launched his career at Big Ten Network in Chicago, where he has grown from entry-level social media work to management roles overseeing content, partnerships, and coverage of major events. Bernstein took a less conventional route, working at startups, Allstate, and a global pharmaceutical company before landing at Lou Malnati’s, the iconic Chicago pizza brand.

Dan Bernstein (Photo provided)

Despite different industries, both credit RST with preparing them. Roux emphasized adaptability: “RST provided a pathway to explore a wide swath of opportunities in the sports industry, which required building communication and adaptability skills that still serve me well to this day.”

Bernstein pointed to transferable business skills: “For me, it is less about hard skills and more about the business and soft skills: marketing fundamentals, organization, collaboration, and communication. In the business world, especially in marketing, those skills are what set you apart. RST gave me a strong foundation in all of them.”

Today, both men still live and work in Chicago, a city they independently described as “the best in the world.” For Roux, it’s a hub of Big Ten culture that keeps him connected to alumni. For Bernstein, it’s a city where Illinois ties run deep: “Even in a city with the largest U of I alumni base, I still find myself saying ‘ILL’ to strangers in the gym, on the street, or in a bar. There is a real bond and sense of togetherness among Illinois alumni.”

Looking back, both reflect with gratitude on the friendship that defined their student experience. Roux called Illinois “truly immeasurable” in its value, while Bernstein put it simply: “Illinois gave me lifelong friends, unforgettable experiences, and the foundation for my career.”

Their careers may have taken different directions, but their story is a reminder of what makes the RST program special: the chance to turn passion into profession—and along the way, to find a lifelong teammate.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

Share on social

Tags: , , ,

Related news

Teaching the next ‘champions for change’ in sport

Oct. 24, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

A group photo from RST 199: IC-ChangeS first section in spring 2025, in Kenney Gym. The course had Recreation, Sport and Tourism undergrads teach local student-athletes about social justice through sport. (Provided)

This Recreation, Sport and Tourism course brought together undergrads and local high school student-athletes, to understand how sport can produce positive social change.

A new Recreation, Sport and Tourism course—Inclusive Champions for Change through Sport, or IC-ChangeS for short—is challenging Illinois students to understand how sports can provide a platform for positive social change.

And what better way to learn than leading their own classes with local high school athletes?

Lead instructor Yannick Kluch, an assistant professor in RST, piloted this course in the spring. His team found a willing partner in University Laboratory High School, the small high school on the Urbana campus.

“I’ve always thought about why people are not doing more to engage high school athletes in social justice work, because they do tend to have a platform in their community,” Kluch said. “The idea had been brewing in my head for years, but I never felt like I could turn it into reality. But here at Illinois, I felt supported right away to make it happen.”

The pilot of this course felt like a step outside the comfort zone to many of the undergrads who enrolled. They would have to don their professors’ caps while wading through potentially prickly topics with their peers. But students left feeling transformed by the experience.

“Being in that smaller group made me feel comfortable sharing my ideas and thoughts, knowing I was in a safe space,” said Lauren Ratajczak, a senior in RST. “I felt like I actually was making a difference in people’s lives. These students can go on to pursue social justice and change in their futures.”

The syllabus explored key social justice topics, mapped onto the sports world: What does systemic injustice mean and look like? What are social identities and unconscious biases? How do these concepts play out for modern-day sport icons?

Kluch researches how sport is used as a platform to advance equity and inclusion on a societal level. When he arrived at Illinois, he quickly connected with Mariela Fernandez, an associate professor in RST who researches environmental justice.

When they heard about the University of Illinois’ Call to Action grants, the project seemed like a perfect fit. The annual grant program from the Chancellor’s office funds research and community engagement projects that tackle social inequities head-on.

With $90,338 from the Chancellor’s grant, and a team of collaborators including RST doctoral student Solomon Siskind, RST master’s student Kevin Gillooly, and Anna Baeth from the national sports inclusivity nonprofit Athlete Ally, the IC-ChangeS team got to work. The group later added two staff members from Uni High as well as a local high school student from Champaign Central High School to the team.

Uni High offered up four sessions of their normal Physical Education class periods for RST to work with. The organizers quickly realized, to best deliver the material, the students would have to become the teachers.

“I wanted to leave the students with a new sense of agency when it comes to social justice topics,” Kluch said. “That was a key goal, to make students not shy away from this. Especially when these topics are under attack.” 

‘You can make a difference’

In one of the first IC-ChangeS sessions, Uni High student Aldo Zepeda Flores walked up to a large piece of paper hanging on the wall, with the question “What does social injustice look like to you?” written on the top.

One by one, students jotted down their answers on the sheet before discussing with the group.

“It was really nice because you got to see everyone else’s perspective and everyone else’s opinions, but it also gives a sense of privacy when you can express stuff a lot more than when you’re called on in class,” Zepeda Flores said.

The Uni High students participated in four sessions during their usual gym class period, with the support of their high school PE teachers.

An IC-ChangeS group activity in action. Each class period was designed to be as interactive as possible.

With only a handful of sessions, each IC-ChangeS session was designed to be as interactive as possible. In one activity, the high schoolers played a card game called “Buffalo: The Name Dropping Game.” Two cards were quickly flipped, one with a noun and the other with an adjective. If the words were “Muslim” and “athlete,” for example, whoever can first think of a person that combined the two terms won the round. Unbeknownst to the high schoolers at the time, the game had been developed to address unconscious biases at play.

“It was no thinking, no time for analyzing the question or what you were about to say,” Zepeda Flores said. “And then you start to realize, maybe I’m thinking in a different way than I should be. You acknowledge your own biases.”

For Flores, who has played soccer his entire life, what resonated most was the sense of belonging: “I’ve done club sports my entire life, a person’s sense of belonging can affect their style of play. I reflected on my own experience, on the times I wasn’t as welcoming, or the times I felt excluded.”

“It gave me perspective of how in every environment, not just sports, my class, and home, you want everyone to feel a sense of belonging, where they all feel welcome,” he said.

Each session was interactive and carefully planned, but the RST undergraduates were the main shapers of the instruction, Kluch said. They were free to figure out how to best deliver lessons to the group of young athletes.

“It’s not just us telling the undergrads, ‘teach that,’ it’s us asking the undergrads, ‘How would you teach that? What would you teach?’ and then they take agency and facilitate,” Kluch said. “They were super creative, and it resonated with the high schoolers because they found engaging ways to talk about these issues.”

The RST students began to make connections between their own lives and the class content – and used that to connect with the high schoolers. “We were teaching the high school athletes, no matter how small the community, you can make a difference,” Ratajczak said. These young athletes do have power and they do have a voice.”

Having supervised the pilot run of the course at Uni High, Uni Physical Education Teacher Luke Bronowski feels the innovative format would be appealing for other high schools. At Uni, the students looked forward to the interactive sessions.

“We have a diverse population at Uni High, some students who’ve experienced social injustice, and so I think it was eye-opening not only for the high school students to hear some of these stories, but I felt the college students were learning from our students, too,” Bronowski said. “Our students were getting tools to use their platform as athletes to be agents of change.” 

Lasting bonds

Lexie Breymeyer came to the University of Illinois in 2021 from Hoopeston, a town of 5,000 roughly an hour drive away from campus. Prior to enrolling in this course, concepts like microaggressions and cultural competence were relatively foreign to her, she said.

“This class has singlehandedly changed my mindset, my values, how I look at the world. I could not ask for more from a class—it’s truly changed me as an individual,” Breymeyer said. 

After graduating in the spring from the RST program, Breymeyer was accepted to the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She credits IC-ChangeS’ content for inspiring her to go into sports journalism.

“Sport is not just a game, it’s a tool, and learning how to use sport as a tool for change opens countless amounts of doors. For journalism, I want to do sports broadcasting, setting up a platform to have these uncomfortable conversations,” Breymeyer said. 

Even at Northwestern, she’s still in touch with her IC-Changes classmates: after the semester of IC-ChangeS concluded in May, their group chat is still active, updating each other on their lives and keeping up with the news, just like they did in class.

It’s not just us telling the undergrads, ‘teach that,’ it’s us asking the undergrads, ‘How would you teach that? What would you teach?’ and then they take agency and facilitate.

Yannick Kluch

Assistant Professor in Recreation, Sport and Tourism

“We would spend time processing what was going on in higher ed,” she said. “The world we live in is hectic right now, having a safe space to discuss those things and how it relates to what we were teaching students was one of my favorite things about the class overall. It was a community where we could talk about tough topics.”

The plan for this course is to “scale up,” Kluch said. He hopes the peer-to-peer class framework is replicable for other high schools and colleges in-state and throughout the country, which can be adapted for topics with a specific social justice focus, such as inclusion for people with disabilities or sexual violence prevention. He’s submitted for the course to become a permanent part of the Recreation, Sport and Tourism curriculum.

“The pilot run couldn’t have gone better, and I am so proud of our RST students, the IC-ChangeS athletes, and our partners at Uni High for keeping an open mind and making the course as impactful as it has been,” Kluch said. “This course represents the very fabric of what we do in RST; we use our passion for recreation, sport and tourism to make a difference in the world.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Yannick Kluch, email ykluch@illinois.edu

Interested in enrolling in an RST course this spring? Visit https://courses.illinois.edu/schedule/2026/spring/RST for the full offerings.

Share on social

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Related news

Remembering Ron Dodd, a leader in public parks and recreation

Oct. 27, 2025 | Laura Payne

RST alumni fondly remember a leader in the field

Ron Dodd (Photo provided)

Ron Dodd, former director of the Joliet Park District and an RST alumnus, passed away on July 31, 2025, at the age of 84. 

Dodd was a leader and educator in public parks and recreation and the embodiment of a true servant leader who cared about the communities he served and was instrumental in advancing the parks and recreation profession nationally and internationally. 

“Ron was everywhere volunteering for anything that needed to be done within our profession and left a positive mark wherever he went coast to coast,” said Ken Kutska, a colleague and friend.

Dodd was an innovative leader who was creative and an adept problem-solver. His talent for organizational development, operations and service delivery was crucial to the decentralization of Dallas Parks and Recreation and the Chicago Park District. These reorganizations enabled staff to be more responsive to local community needs and resulted in programs and services that more effectively met residents’ needs and interests.  

Later in his career, Dodd took his talents to the Joliet Park District, where he led successful capital project initiatives such as the Inwood Ice Arena and the Inwood Sports Complex. At a time when the property tax cap in five northern Illinois counties made it more difficult to issue bonds to fund facility development and improvements, he developed a successful diversified fundraising strategy that was key to improving park district facilities. 

As a testament to his commitment to advancing the field of parks and recreation, Dodd held leadership positions in both state and national parks and recreation associations. He served on the Board of Trustees for the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and was the chairman of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association and the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration. 

His leadership and contributions to the field of parks and recreation was recognized with several prestigious awards including the National Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal, the University of St. Francis Distinguished Professional Award and the NRPA Robert M. Artz Award for advocacy and outstanding efforts in advancing the field through education and activating communities to advocate for parks and recreation at local, state or at the national level. 

Dodd was born and raised in Ottawa, Illinois, where he was active in the varsity band and competed on the varsity cross country and track teams. He was a skilled model builder and built many scaled dollhouses for his daughter, granddaughters and great-granddaughter. He enjoyed sports, especially golf and bowling, and he played in bowling leagues over the years. He loved spending time with friends and family and enjoyed traveling. 

Dodd attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he earned Bachelor of Science degrees in political science and physical education. Inspired by public service, he embarked on a career in public parks and recreation and later earned master’s in Leisure Studies, with a concentration in recreation and park administration from the University of Illinois-Champaign.

Dodd mentored many students and professionals throughout his career. His passion for education led him to St. Francis University, where he taught courses in the Recreation and Sport Management Program for 30 years, educating and inspiring students. James Barkeley, an alumnus of the RST M.S. and Ph.D. programs and recipient of the Ronald Dodd Scholarship for Distinguished M.S. Students in Parks and Recreation, said, “Ron impressed on me that leisure services is a noble profession and that I could succeed. His message has stayed with me as I became a full professor in sport and recreation management driven by a belief in the importance and power of leisure services and that I could make a difference.”  

Dodd’s contributions to the field and impacts on others can be summed up by Jason Genck, senior manager/practice lead at BerryDunn. Genck said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ Ron’s life was a shining example of this principle. Ron has been an inspirational beacon in my life and career. Our field is better because of Ron’s tireless work in parks, recreation, volunteer service, faith, mentorship, passion, love and education.”

Share on social

Tags: , ,

Related news

Remembering Dr. Laurence Chalip, a giant in sport policy and management

Oct. 27, 2025 | Laura Payne

RST alumni fondly remember a former department head

Laurence Chalip (Photo provided)

Dr. Laurence Chalip, former head of the Department of Recreation Sport and Tourism and a Brightbill/Sapora professor, died on Aug. 17, 2025, at the age of 74.  

Chalip was a global leader and visionary in the field of sport policy and sport management. He championed the integration of the recreation, sport and tourism field and encouraged the RST faculty and students to emphasize the commonalities among their sub-fields. In an interview at George Mason University, Chalip said, “There’s no problem out there that’s strictly a sociological problem, economic problem, or a political problem. In the real world, it all comes together.” 

Chalip’s legacy and influence went far beyond Illinois—he was recognized internationally and served as the president of the North American Society for Sport Management, or NASSM. Chalip was a change agent, shaping global conversations on policy and best practices in sport, tourism, and recreation. While he valued research-driven knowledge, he focused equally on advocating for change that has “on the ground” impacts for RST organizations, policy makers, communities and society.

“Laurence was among the top 2 percent of scholars globally across all fields and selflessly advanced the study of sport management,” said Robert Baker, professor emeritus of Sport, Recreation and Tourism at George Mason. “Listing his many accomplishments only scratches the surface of who Laurence was, his impact on our thinking and careers. Laurence inspired us—he made the academy, and each of us (in sport management) better. He was passionate about teaching and mentoring students. He brought deep analysis and insights into his courses, questioned the status quo, and challenged students to critically examine and defend their positions.”

Dr. Liselle Milazzo, a former RST doctoral student, shared how Chalip’s mentoring helped her grow as a scholar. “Dr. Chalip pushed me harder than any other mentor or professor I’ve ever had, but if I am even a fractionally successful academic, it’s because he saw me as a curious 25-year-old and treated me like I was already a scholar,” Milazzo said. 

As a mentor, Chalip made an indelible impression on every student. 

“What I will always value about having Dr. Chalip as a friend and mentor is his ability to make students believe in themselves, said Dr. Jeff Far, a former RST doctoral student. “He often said that his favorite time of the week was the time he spent with us in the classroom.” 

Chalip grew up in Alameda, California, where he exceled as a competitive swimmer. As a musician and music lover, he enjoyed playing blues and flamenco guitar, and when he was a young man, he was in a girl band, The Fabulaires. He loved to cook and enjoyed cooking for friends and family. 

After earning his bachelor’s degree in anthropology at the University of California-Berkeley, he headed to New Zealand where he served as the aquatics director for the Wanganui Community Sports Centre and then the head coach of the Te Awamutu Swimming Club. He continued coaching in Dayton, Ohio. Chalip’s thirst for knowledge led him to earn a master’s degree in psychology at the University of Waikato, and doctorate in public policy at the University of Chicago, where he began integrating his sport experience with policy knowledge.  

Friends and colleagues often encouraged him to retire or to cut back on his work, but for Chalip, his work was his leisure. Chalip’s partner and colleague Chris Green said, “He liked nothing better than to play with ideas and create solutions to make a difference in the world.”

Fortunately for all of us, he inspired others to join in the fun and gave us the tools to continue his legacy.

Share on social

Tags: , ,

Related news

Message from the department head

Oct. 27, 2025 | Carla Santos

Dear RST Friends and Alumni,

As the fall semester unfolds, I am delighted to share the newest edition of our Recreation, Sport and Tourism newsletter. This issue reflects the breadth of scholarship, creativity and connection that define our department.

Among the stories you’ll read are the work of Charis Tucker, whose research explores the history and lived experiences of Black travelers; Joelle Soulard and Toni Liechty’s creative project  investigating the relationship between tattoos and travel; Yannick Kluch’s initiative to empower high school athletes through a peer-to-peer social justice curriculum; and Monika Stodolska’s research on how Ukrainian refugees in Poland find meaning and community through leisure.

Beyond research, this issue also celebrates the friendship between Alex Roux and Dan Bernstein, two alumni whose shared love for sport has evolved into a meaningful personal and professional bond. Their story, and the story of alumnus Dan Isaacson, are testaments to the enduring connections forged through RST and the ways our graduates continue to carry forward the spirit of collaboration and community.

These features, and many more, capture the vibrant spirit of our department. They remind us that the heart of RST lies in the people, stories and relationships that give meaning and shape the future of recreation, sport and tourism.

Thank you for being a vital part of our community. I hope this newsletter inspires you, as it has inspired me, to celebrate the diverse ways recreation, sport and tourism shape our world.

Warm regards,

Carla Santos

Professor and Department Head

Recreation, Sport and Tourism

Share on social

Tags: ,

Related news

U. of I. trial will test if exercise can improve protein efficiency for older adults with type 2 diabetes

Oct. 25, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

Can regular exercise reduce the protein needs of adults with type 2 diabetes?

From left: University of Illinois Professor Nick Burd, postdoc Mikaela Kasperek, Ph.D. student Gena Irwin, and Associate Professor Jacob Allen pose inside Freer Hall’s gym, where their labs will train participants in a 12-week exercise program for a clinical trial.

For healthy adults, roughly .8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day is enough to maintain muscle mass and support daily function.

But for adults with type 2 diabetes, an estimated 1 in 10 adults in the United States, their protein requirements remain relatively undefined, but are believed to be elevated when compared to their non-diabetic counterparts. Especially as diabetic individuals age, their bodies often become more anabolic resistant: less responsive to the muscle-building effects of exercise and protein intake.

Researchers from the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are recruiting participants for a human clinical trial to understand the protein needs of older adults with type 2 diabetes, and whether regular exercise can help their bodies use protein more efficiently.

“The problem with current strategies for type 2 diabetes is they largely try to keep throwing protein in people’s diets: eat more, eat more, eat more,” HK Professor Nicholas Burd said.  

Piling on the protein could have detrimental effects. There’s evidence that circulating amino acids, including branch chain amino acids that promote muscle mass, are associated with poorer outcomes for people with diabetes, said HK Associate Professor Jacob Allen.

Their upcoming study, “Exercise impact on dietary protein efficiency in older adults with type 2 diabetes,” is funded by a grant from the American Diabetes Association. The principal investigators are Burd, who researches protein metabolism, and Allen, who studies how exercise and nutrition impact the gut microbiome.

Health and Kinesiology professors Jack Senefeld and Steve Petruzzello are co-investigators on the study.

HK Assistant Professor Jack Senefeld and Professor Steve Petruzzello are co-investigators on the study, bringing expertise on training diabetic individuals and psychological well-being during exercise. Ph.D. candidate Gena Irwin and postdoc Mikaela Kasperek will lead the work from the Burd’s Exercise Performance Lab and Allen’s Integrative Microbiota Physiology labs respectively.

Starting this fall, the researchers will recruit 30 older adults to participate in this study—15 individuals living with type 2 diabetes and 15 without—and bring them into Freer Hall’s gym for a 12-week fitness program that mixes weight training with endurance exercise.

The researchers will use sensitive tools in their labs to figure out how efficiently participants’ bodies utilize protein, and whether that efficiency varies for older adults with and without diabetes. After participants wrap the exercise program, the team will test whether resistance training improved their bodies’ usage of protein overall, lessening their daily protein needs.

“To make an older person’s muscles more youthful, you can exercise them,” Burd said. “But we don’t know how the gut’s being impacted, and we don’t know how type 2 diabetes interferes with some of the ‘youthfulness’ effects of exercise.”

Some of our dietary protein ends up in our skeletal muscle, through muscle-protein synthesis, and some of it is used for energy. But there’s a “black box” around where the rest of our protein goes in the body, Allen said.

“We think that the microbes in the gut, the gut microbiome, might be responsible for some of this, but this has never been studied,” Allen said. “We’ve run some pilot work that fueled part of this study, where we can show that indeed, ingested amino acids are converted into these microbial metabolites.”

Why might that matter? Some of these metabolites are important for human health overall, Allen said. For example, short chain fatty acids—the byproducts of dietary fiber being processed in our gut—bring a host of benefits for metabolism and the immune system.

The research teams will host intervention days at the beginning and end of the 12-week exercise program, to see how participants’ bodies are using the protein in their muscle and gut.

Participants will consume amino acids labeled with stable isotope tracers. The labs will collect breath samples to see how much of the labeled amino acid is showing up in the breath—if more of that labeled protein appears in participants’ breath, their bodies aren’t as good at incorporating it into muscle.

Blood samples will help the scientists understand how the gut is taking those amino acids and converting them into potentially beneficial metabolites.

The second intervention day at the end of the trial will determine whether an exercise program changed the way participants’ bodies use protein.

“There are very few labs in the U.S that not only have the expertise, but have the infrastructure to be able to do this kind of work, so we’re very fortunate for Illinois and our department,” Burd said. “Stable isotope tracers require expensive machines to analyze.”

What’s in it for participants? On top of helping the scientists form dietary guidelines for older adults with type 2 diabetes, they’ll receive progressive exercise training from expert students and faculty at the college, that will hopefully serve them well beyond their last visit.

“A big goal is to change behavior, too, to make them healthier,” Allen said. “That’s ultimately what we’re trying to do.”

Editor’s note:

Interested in participating in this study? Take the survey to see if you qualify, or email the organizers at HK-ADA-Study@illinois.edu

To reach Nick Burd, email naburd@illinois.edu
To reach Jacob Allen, email jmallen5@illinois.edu

Share on social

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Related news

Understanding the trauma coping of Ukrainian refugees

Oct. 21, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

‘This was by far the most difficult and I think impactful work that I have done’

Photos from Medyka, a Polish village near the Ukraine border, a few months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Millions of Ukrainian refugees have passed through Poland, with more than 990,000 settling there under temporary protected status. (Provided by Monika Stodolska)

Sitting face-to-face with Ukrainian refugees who had escaped to Poland after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Recreation, Sport and Tourism Professor Monika Stodolska asked a set of questions many of them hadn’t considered. Namely, what do you do in your leisure time?

She wanted to understand what they had done to cope with their psychological trauma from the conflict, and whether their participation in leisure activities had helped to relieve some of the stress they’d experienced. But Stodolska wasn’t prepared for how difficult it would be to even broach the subject, or how the refugees’ reactions would affect her personally.

“The look on their faces when I asked that really stuck with me. ‘How can you even be asking about leisure when everything else is going on, when my family lives on the front lines, when I’m separated from my children?’” Stodolska said. “I knew as a researcher how important leisure can be in helping people cope with those most difficult moments in their lives. But these people didn’t realize that.”

Stodolska, professor of RST at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, researches how leisure and recreation can improve health and well-being, especially among racially and ethnically minoritized populations. In 2025, she released the first paper in a series studying the human consequences of the Russian war on Ukraine, specifically in the neighboring country of Poland.

By Feb. 2024, more than 18.8 million Ukrainians had crossed the country’s border with Poland since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. By Sept. 2025, roughly 993,000 Ukrainian refugees remained in Poland under temporary protected status, with the majority resettling elsewhere or returning to Ukraine. (Germany is the only country with more Ukrainian refugees, at nearly 1.2 million).  

In the fall of 2022, Stodolska—who happened to be on sabbatical—traveled back to her home country of Poland and began conducting in-depth interviews with three groups of people who were thrust into action as the war intensified. 

She interviewed Ukrainian refugees who moved westward to Poland to escape the war, administrators of the aid effort such as Polish city mayors and organizers of mass refugee shelters, and “helpers,” Polish residents who housed refugees when the conflict escalated and volunteers who assisted the aid effort at home or on the frontlines.

Her first paper in the series, “The Roles of Leisure in Trauma Coping Among Ukrainian War Refugees in Poland,” was published in the journal Leisure Sciences this April. The paper contains firsthand narratives from her interviews with the Ukrainian refugees, which took place from Nov. 2022 to May 2023. 

Among the 21 refugees she interviewed for the study, 19 were women, matching the ratio of Ukrainians initially displaced by the war. Until this August, men of military age were not allowed to leave Ukraine while the fighting continued.

Stodolska conducted interviews in a mix of Polish, English and some Russian, while research assistant Tala Naumovska, from the Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures, conducted interviews with subjects who spoke only Ukrainian.

Polish and Ukrainian flags on the gates to the Warsaw University campus. Polish national attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees have shifted since the invasion began. (Monika Stodolska)

Using Lazarus and Folkman’s framework to explain how individuals cope with psychological stress, Stodolska divided their leisure activities into either emotion-focused or problem-focused coping. The emotion-focused coping, among others, included checking Ukrainian news or staying in touch with family and friends, while problem-focused coping included collecting materials that could be sent the war’s frontlines, using leisure to build a sense of belonging, and traveling across Poland to learn about their new environment.

“We knew that leisure is a good buffer against trauma,” she said. “But there was so much more that surfaced in this study.”

Many of the refugees she interviewed developed strong relationships with their Polish host families, and found purpose in joining the community’s volunteer activities for the war effort, such as weaving camouflage nets intended for the war’s trenches.

Stodolska was continually struck by the immense humanitarian response she witnessed in the wake of the second invasion of Ukraine.

“It was not only the Polish population—Czech, Slovaks, Germans, everyone wanted to help. The scale and magnitude of the assistance that was given to people was just extraordinary,” Stodolska said. “To me, it was not only extremely moving from a humanitarian perspective, but from a research perspective, I thought that this was unprecedented and needed to be studied.”

But the process of acclimation was painstaking for many of the refugees, who often struggled to find purpose in their free time. Eartha, a 38-year-old mother who escaped from Ukraine with her three children, compared leisure activities like visiting the local park or zoo to “doing time” in prison while awaiting her return.

 “Because it’s like you don’t live, you’re just there, you’re just passing the time. You’re ‘doing time’. I mean, you’re safe; everything is fine, but you are just like a piece of paper,” Eartha said in her interview. 

What has lingered with Stodolska are the traumatic memories of escape her interviewees recalled. Three years after beginning this study, she feels irrevocably changed.

“This was my first encounter with people who just crossed the border escaping death,” Stodolska said. “The gruesome stories that they were telling me, people whose families were murdered or who witnessed death during the escape … I was shell-shocked doing this study.”

“I’ve studied race and ethnicity and discrimination for decades now, but this was by far the most difficult and I think impactful work that I have done.”

The look on their faces really stuck with me. ‘How can you even be asking about leisure when everything else is going on, when my family lives on the front lines, when I’m separated from my children?

Monika Stodolska

Professor of Recreation, Sport and Tourism

While working on her second paper chronicling Polish “helpers” of Ukrainian refugees, Stodolska decided to pause and reevaluate. Polish citizens’ attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees who had settled in the country have deteriorated in the last year, Stodolska said, and she wants to return this fall to collect more data to trace the reasons for this shift.

“They were, at the beginning of the conflict, incredibly supportive and pro-Ukrainian, including here in the United States, but especially in Eastern Europe. The narrative was, ‘They’re fighting our war. Poland is next, right?’,” Stodolska said. “However, we have since seen a marked shift in the attitudes towards migrants—to the point where the majority of the Polish population says that they want the refugees to leave and go back home.”

Why the shift? New perceptions have emerged in Poland and in the region; that Ukrainian refugees are a drain on the country’s resources, or that they’re receiving preferential treatment through government assistance programs. In an opinion poll from the Warsaw-based Centre for Public Opinion Research, 50% of Poles believed the scale of government assistance for Ukrainian refugees was “too great” in general, while 58% believed Ukrainian refugees must work to receive social benefits.

“It was not only the Polish population—Czech, Slovaks, Germans, everyone wanted to help. The scale and magnitude of the assistance that was given to people was just extraordinary,” Stodolska said.

Stodolska is planning to re-interview many of the Poles who brought Ukrainian refugees into their homes and who offered assistance through other means, and ask, “if you were in this situation again, would you still help to the extent you did?”

“I want to have two snapshots in time,” she said. “Take a more longitudinal approach.”

While war negotiations remain at a standstill, the suffering continues. Yet, as Stodolska wrote in the closing paragraph of her paper, Ukrainian refugees’ experiences are only the tip of the iceberg: more than 100 million people globally have been forcibly displaced worldwide by war, oppression and persecution.

She wrote that it was her “sincere wish” that research on refugees was not needed, but that until they are able to return to their homelands, “their fight for survival and dignity [must be] brought to the witness of the world.”

“Don’t lose interest, don’t lose compassion. Compassion is never wrong. Doing the right thing is never wrong,” Stodolska said. “Research is only one tool of that. If I can use research to make sure that this stays in the news cycle, and that people don’t lose interest in helping Ukraine or helping other people who are in need, I’ve done my job.”

Editor’s note:

To contact Monika Stodolska, email stodolsk@illinois.edu
The paper “The Roles of Leisure in Trauma Coping Among Ukrainian War Refugees in Poland” is available online.
DOI: 10.1080/01490400.2025.2487070

Share on social

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Related news

Meet Jerri and Lesli, our newest American Sign Language instructors

Oct. 16, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

New Speech and Hearing Science instructors Lesli Williams and Jerri Seremeth are both “native signers”—they grew up learning American Sign Language as their first language and primary mode of communication. They joined the Department of Speech and Hearing Science this fall, and teach classes remotely.

Lesli Williams (Provided)
Which classes are you teaching this year?

Jerri: I’m teaching two ASL III (SHS 321) courses and re-designing SHS 222: Language & Culture of Deaf Communities.

Lesli: This year, I’m teaching SHS 121: American Sign Language I, SHS 221: American Sign Language II and SHS 321: American Sign Language III.

Why did you want to become an ASL Instructor for the U. of I.? What attracted you to the role?

Jerri: It’s a great opportunity to teach at U. of I., which has a well-known and highly respected team in the U.S. I come from a Deaf family and love sharing my authentic background.

Lesli: I was drawn to the position because of its commitment to inclusive education and strong support for language and cultural diversity. The opportunity to teach ASL at a university level allows me to share the richness of Deaf culture with a broader audience and help bridge communication between Deaf and hearing communities.

Tell us about your life and career experience. How did you become an instructor of American Sign Language, and where has that taken you so far?

Jerri: I began teaching ASL in 2014 at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Jerri Seremeth (Provided)

Lesli: My journey with ASL started at the age of 2, I learned from a Deaf Mentor, Bob Laughna, self-taught books and old VHS signing videos, and learned signs from the Deaf Community. I grew up in only-mainstream education with no Deaf programs in my elementary, middle and high school. I graduated from Negaunee High School in 2005. I graduated from Northern Michigan University with associate’s degree in cosmetology, which I worked in salons for 15 years.

Over time, I developed a deep appreciation not just for the language, but for the culture and history of the Deaf community. After finishing up my cosmetology journey, I pursued a bachelor’s degree in Deaf Studies from Gallaudet University in 2015 and Masters in Adult Education and Training, specializing in Technology from University of Phoenix in 2017.  I eventually began teaching in 2017 at my alma mater Northern Michigan University while pursing my master’s with University of Phoenix at the same time.

Since then, I’ve taught in various settings—Northern Michigan University, where I did face-to-face and online teaching from 2017 to 2025, and Columbia College, where I taught online for the last two years, and I just started my new teaching career here at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign this semester —and have loved seeing students grow in both skill and cultural understanding.

If you had to choose, what is the most rewarding part of being an ASL instructor for you?

Jerri: The most rewarding part is being able to teach my language and culture, giving students exposure that helps them understand us better.

Lesli: One of the most rewarding parts of teaching ASL is witnessing students make meaningful connections—not just linguistically, but culturally. When students begin to understand Deaf culture and the importance of visual language, it opens their eyes to a whole new way of experiencing communication.

For those who haven’t taken any ASL classes, or those who aren’t familiar with the Deaf community, what do you think they would find the most surprising about American Sign Language or how it’s taught?

Jerri: They might be surprised by how important facial expressions are—they make up about 70% of our language.

Lesli: Many people are surprised to learn that ASL is a complete and complex language with its own grammar and syntax completely separate from English. They’re also often surprised by how interactive and visual ASL classes are—learning through movement, facial expressions, and storytelling is very different from traditional classroom learning.

Is there anything else you’d like folks in the department to know about you?

Jerri: My husband and I have eight children together. Our youngest is an exchange student from Africa, and all of our children are Deaf. Also, hiking is my favorite escape!

Lesli: I’m passionate about creating inclusive and engaging spaces for all learners. I also love collaborating with others in the department and beyond to promote awareness of Deaf culture and language. Outside the classroom, I enjoy walking, hiking, camping, playing with my beautiful daughters—ages 6, 5 and 2 years old—and attending Deaf events and traveling, which often feed back into my teaching. 

Share on social

Tags: , , , ,

Related news

College of Applied Health Sciences
110 Huff Hall
1206 South 4th Street
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 333-2131